Back at Uni

Well I'm back again for my second year. I was quite happy with my marks for my first year. I got B's and 1 C.
My summer was fun except for my car being broken into and everything being stolen.

Been a While

WOW its been a while since my last post!!! Oops
Errr what have I been up to.

Well, I went to Edinburgh for the Pixar Exhibition, which was brilliant... I loved it. When I've finished some stuff I will write about it on here.

I will do this in numbers as it will be easier for you to understand... or at least i think it will be :p

1. I've been getting people to do voices for my autobiography animatic.

2. Finishing my designs and ideas for my Redux Cat... it is now a series called 'The Fish Shop Cat'. After the cute cat that lives at the fish shop in huddersfield but its basically the same idea except its in a fish shop and the owner gets distracted by customers.etc.

3. I've been working on my objects for my Sprite and what they would do, if I knew how to make them do what I want LOL

4. I've been working on my Place to Play stuff the most as I have been modeling my final idea. Below is an old version of where I was up to and an up to date version. Its a bit different I know but I thought it was cool :)

I can't really think of anything else I've been up to other than helping to organise the Smelly Duck Rally page for the HUMCC site. You can see it at www.humcc.co.uk
Please let me know what you think :D

Place to Play Idea Presentation

Place to Play Research - Thin Film Display

You've finished working on your computer and you're ready to call it a day. Instead of logging off and folding the screen down over a laptop keyboard, imagine rolling up the computer screen and stashing it in your bag. Roll-up computer screens and other flexible light-emitting displays that conform to almost any shape or surface may one day be realities thanks to a team of scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

The researchers have developed two key technologies--the Flexible Glass^TM engineered substrate that provides a flexible surface on which to build a display and the Barix^TM thin film coating that protects a display from harmful air and moisture. These technologies offer the display industry the design flexibility of plastic and the barrier protection of glass.

Because it prevents moisture vapor or air from passing through, glass--durable but rigid--has been the substrate used in both traditional liquid crystal displays (LCDs), such as cell phones and digital watches, and next- generation displays such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which offer wider viewing angles, quicker response times and more ruggedness.

One challenge to manufacturing thin, flexible, and lightweight OLEDs was finding a way to make a flexible surface, such as plastic, also impermeable to air and moisture vapor, which quickly destroy an OLED display. The Barix^TM coating provides this protection. It also enables the manufacture of thinner displays with fewer potential failures at seams and joints by eliminating the bulky packaging required when using a glass substrate.

The Barix^TM coating is made of extremely thin layers of transparent ceramic barrier material deposited with alternating thin polymer (plastic) layers. The layering is repeated until the desired resistance to water vapor and oxygen permeability is achieved. The nanoscale inorganic layers (of less than 50 nanometers) sandwiched between the polymer layers (of less than one micron) produce composite structures that are flexible enough to be rolled yet still prevent air and moisture vapor from passing through. The Barix^TM coating is typically less than two microns thick. A human hair, on average, is 100 microns thick.

The Flexible Glass^TM engineered substrate is a transparent, flexible plastic sheet that blocks air and moisture but allows light to be transmitted, making it extremely useful in manufacturing sensitive organic electronic devices. Vacuum deposition techniques are used to deposit thin-film layers of nanoscale organic and inorganic materials in multi-layer stacks directly onto a substrate such as polyester film. Each stack is typically less than two microns thick. Display manufacturers can use the Flexible Glass^TM product as the substrate on which to build either OLED or plastic LCD displays. After the device is fabricated on the barrier substrate it can be hermetically sealed using Barix^TMencapsulation or another sheet of Flexible Glass^TM barrier material.

Both Flexible Glass^TM and Barix^TM technologies have been licensed to the Battelle spin-off company, Vitex Systems Incorporated, for commercialization.

Place to Play Research - Reverse Parking Sensors

Reverse Parking Sensors

Reverse Parking Sensors (also known as reverse parking sensors, reverse parking systems, and reverse backing systems) are a technology that allows the driver of a car, truck, van or commercial vehicle to be alerted to nearby objects in their path.

While there are variants in the design and feaures of these systems the basic design puts sensors in the car bumper or on brackets. These sensors send ultrasonic waves (40,000 times/second) that detect obstacles behind the vehicle. A controller installed inside the vehicle then receives the signal from the sensors and transmits it to a speaker that emits a tone, or to a combination speaker and display unit.

Place to Play Research - Video Tracking

Video tracking is the process of locating a moving object (or several ones) in time using a camera. An algorithm analyses the video frames and outputs the location of moving targets within the video frame.

The main difficulty in video tracking is to associate target locations in consecutive video frames, especially when the objects are moving fast relative to the frame rate. Here, video tracking systems usually employ a motion model which describes how the image of the target might change for different possible motions of the object to track.

Examples of simple motion models are:

• to track planar objects, the motion model is a 2D transformation (affine transformation or homography) of an image of the object (e.g. the initial frame)
• when the target is a rigid 3D object, the motion model defines its aspect depending on its 3D position and orientation
• for video compression, key frames are divided into macroblocks. The motion model is a disruption of a key frame, where each macroblock is translated by a motion vector given by the motion parameters
• the image of deformable objects can be covered with a mesh, the motion of the object is defined by the position of the nodes of the mesh.

Common Algorithms

The role of the tracking algorithm is to analyse the video frames in order to estimate the motion parameters. These parameters characterize the location of the target.

There are two major components of a visual tracking system; Target Representation and Localization and Filtering and Data Association.

Target Representation and Localization is mostly a bottom-up process. Typically the computational complexity for these algorithms is low. The following are some common Target Representation and Localization algorithms:

• Blob tracking: Segmentation of object interior (for example blob detection, block-based correlation or optical flow)
• Kernel-based tracking (Mean-shift tracking): An iterative localization procedure based on the maximization of a similarity measure (Bhattacharyya coefficient).
• Contour tracking: Detection of object boundary (e.g. active contours or Condensation algorithm)
• Visual feature matching

Filtering and Data Association is mostly a top-down process, which involves incorporating prior information about the scene or object, dealing with object dynamics, and evaluation of different hypotheses. The computational complexity for these algorithms is usually much higher. The following are some common Filtering and Data Association algorithms:

• Kalman filter: An optimal recursive bayesian filter for linear functions and gaussian noise.
  
• Particle filter: Useful for sampling the underlying state-space distribution of non-linear and non-gaussian processes.

Place to Play Research - Virtual Reality Goggles

Technology has brought virtual worlds into our computers for many years. Soon, vr will be in our living rooms.

The underground effort that has been an experimental fantasy for decades is becoming more mainstream. VRGs are headed to your game system!

VRGs or VR glasses (also known as Virtual Reality goggles) takes home entertainment and gaming to the next level.

The 3D simulated world once embedded on your computer monitor becomes a living world that consumes you instead. 3D graphic virtual reality is a reality.

Virtual reality glasses have improved in quality; become lighter and cheaper over the past decade as virtual reality technology and software also has advanced.

Wireless options allow you to roam the room with your headset. Almost all units plug into computers, DVDs and TVs.

The option for a Stereo 3D input is now available with Apple's latest in the line of Intel Xenon driven processors.

Sony Glasstron

There's no denying that a big screen provides the ultimate in viewing. Problem is, a big screen keeps you pretty much anchored to your living room or den. Fortunately, Sony has developed an extraordinary solution.

The Glasstron Audio/Video/PC Headset is Sony's newest portable big screen experience. This personal video theatre projects a 52" virtual image of your program inside lightweight, comfortable and futuristic-looking glasses.

You simply slip on Glasstron, connect to a video source or a PC, and you're ready for an eye-opening view of your favourite programming, complete with high-fidelity stereo sound.

Sony's Glasstron Audio/Video/PC Headset is so lightweight and compact you can take it just about anywhere. Whether you're relaxing on the couch, enjoying the great outdoors, or flying cross-country, Glasstron is designed to go to great lengths to enhance your viewing pleasure.

The same technology could be used for my system.

Place to Play Research - Laser Quest

Laser Quest

What is Laser Quest?

Laser Quest is the world's best known and most exciting brand of Laser Tag game. There are centre’s all over the UK. Whether you're 6 or 66 you'll love the adrenaline pumping exhilaration of stalking your opponents and unleashing a volley of laser fire in the battle-zone of the 21st century.

Playtime

To play Laser Quest you enter a fantasy world where you compete in a game of electronic tag. Each player is equipped with 'state of the art' laser tag equipment and plays the game in a uniquely styled labyrinth, which features custom built scenery, ramps, catwalks, lighting effects, swirling fog and futuristic music.

Points are scored when you successfully zap your opponent on one of the many sensors located on the pack and gun. But beware, if you are zapped you lose points and get knocked out of the game for a few seconds.

Using the Laser Quest software platform limitless game variations can be created from simple solo and team games to more complex advanced team games, sentinel games and base station games.

Place to Play Idea

My original idea was the safety system thing for a motorbike but it was decided that it didn’t really have a play factor. I thought about how this could be changed to become more playful. I came up with the following idea: -

The Idea

My idea is a product that you wear and interact with. To decide a name for my product, I wrote down lots of ideas and asked everyone in the lecture room to vote for their favourite. The winning name was ‘V-Tag’.

It’s a Virtual Reality system, which can change your environment and also lock onto other people with another V-Tag Pack on. The idea is to chase others down and shoot them but when you get shot, you get a small electric shock (this can be turned off though). You change the difficulty by making the environment system thicker so it’s harder to get to them but easier to hide. You can also make it so you have to lock onto the other players before you can shoot them. You could also change the settings on it or even have environment cartridges. There are cameras on the helmet that registers you environment and if you had say a ‘Jungle Cartridge’ in it then if you were playing in a playground and it would change it to look like a jungle. Music and sound effects can also be played to make it feel more real and exhilarating. This is not just for children, adults would love it too so you can interact with your children more and in the fresh air!

V-Tag is basically a virtual reality version of ‘Tag’.

The Materials

Like the game centre company, Laser Quest, you have jackets with sensors built in but you also have a helmet. The helmet has a Virtual Reality Display similar to the new Sony Glasstron. This enables you to see the world differently with the Environment changing software.

You also have a gun, which again is similar to the Laser Quest guns but lighter and smaller. You could even buy accessories sets, which could enable you to attach it to a bike so you can play ‘V-Tag’ on your bikes. A warning should be put on though saying that if using ‘V-Tag’ it MUST be played well away from roads or other vehicle operated places such as car parks.

Research Areas

· Laser Quest

· Virtual Reality Goggles – Sony Glasstron

· Video Tracking

· Reverse Parking Sensors

· Thin Film Displays

· Augmented Reality

· Motion Sensors

· Eye Toy Technology

My To Do list for next week!

DEADLINES
26th March – Place to Play Review
27th March – Berlin Assignment
28th March – Taking Photos of Shrine
29th March – Shrine, Alphabet, Website, Caricature, Doll Man (Read Handbook)

OTHERS
Update Blog

TO DO
Wednesday
Post research for P2P and what to do list on Blog

Thursday
Write ideas for trailer for P2P and design the V-Tag gear.

Friday
Go Home
Write Berlin Assignment and read Referencing law thing
Finish design for Alphabet
- Find Website folder
- Photos for shrine. Ask Nan for Fred photo.
- Bring Video Camera

Saturday
Come Back to Huddersfield
Finish Assignment

Sunday
Start on Storyboard for P2P
Work on Shrine
Check over Handbook for Visual Studies.

Monday
Do referencing law thing for Berlin Assignment
Work on Shrine
3pm – Studio for Review

Tuesday
Finish anything that’s not totally finished for Visual Studies.

My Finished Fish

Here are the 4 fish characters in my E4 Fish Animation.

EDDY

ELLY

SPIKE

KODA

My Website is finally working!

My website is up and running... finally! Its not finished but at least I have something :D The website is www.revenanimations.com

My Fish for E4

I've been working hard on my 3d fish for the E4 compeition. I think he looks really cool so far. Here are some of the building steps so far.

My Website

For John Kelly we are creating websites to promote our work. So far I have animated buttons, given myself a name and created the main page and the Who am i? page. You can see it below here.

Place to Play - Research

I'm going to research the following: -

• Vision Tracking
• Object Tracking
• Ultrasonic Range Sensors
• Vision Systems
• Parking Sensors
  
• Thin Film Flexible Display
  

Ze Frank

Ze Frank is an online performance artist, composer, humorist and public speaker based in Brooklyn, New York. Frank was born to German-American parents and raised in a suburb of Albany, New York. He graduated from Brown University in 1995 with a degree in neuroscience. Information given in the show indicates that he has a sister and that he was educated at a Montessori school. Beginning at Brown, Frank played guitar and sang lead vocals for a funk/jam band called Dowdy Smack until its dissolution in 1998.

In 2001, Frank created an online birthday invitation and sent it to seventeen of his closest friends. Forwarded wildly, the invitation soon generated millions of hits and over 100 gigabytes of daily web traffic to Frank's personal Web site. The site grew to include interactive group projects, short films, animations, and video games, many Flash-based, including children's educational videos featuring handy tips such as "Don't vacuum your face".
Frank won a 2002 Webby Award for Best Personal Website and was featured in Time Magazine's "50 Coolest Websites" in 2005. Frank debuted onstage at the Gel conference in 2003, and later spoke at the TED Conference in 2004 and 2005. Below is a video of one of the presentations he did.

In March of 2006, Frank launched a daily video blog known simply as the show with zefrank. Each tightly-edited, three-to-five minute episode combined Daily Show-style commentary on world events with songs, observations, and occasional games or challenges for his viewers to participate in. the show quickly became the most popular portion of his site and helped to increase Frank's visibility in the blogosphere.

Second Life

Again this is something that happened in Berlin so when I've done my other blog thats still in my mind, I'll write about it.

Trip to Berlin

Ok I went to Berlin to the Transmediale Festival. At the moment I'm not going to write about it because I want to write something else first but I want it to go in the right order of things so when I've done my other blog thats still in my mind at the moment, I'll write about Berlin.

Fish Fart - Esting

Esting Idea
This is my final idea choice for my Esting.

FISH FART
A fish swims along with a friend. He farts and you see the E4 logo float up. The other fish shakes his head and swims off. The Farting fish then looks up at the logo and smiles. The camera then zooms in on the logo.

Additional Ideas
1. Lots of fish then swim to see it.
2. The bubbles around it could have words around them saying things like: - music, entertainment, comedy.etc

Fish Designs

Fish Storyboard

Animated Series Ideas

THESE ARE THE IDEAS THAT I HAVE COME UP WITH FOR MY ANIMATED SERIES THING

1. This idea is called 'The Student Life'. I’m going to gather as many funny stories and memories from students from Schools, Colleges and Universities and make them part of it. So the series would actually be an animated series of real people’s funny memories.

To do this I set up a group on a social networking website, http://www.facebook.com/ as it is very popular among University and College students. I have 20 members at the moment but sadly only 1 person has left any stories. I’m hoping it will spread across Facebook as many other groups have done before.

My group website is http://hud.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2232490978

I thought that this would also make it popular with students and interactive as well because people have to send in their stories. Like a constant competition, where the prize is to have you and your friends animated and your stories told! The one problem with this is that you don’t get to know your characters unless I had a host character who introduced the story or something similar. Another idea is to have my own characters who act out the students stories.

2. This idea is pretty similar to the first idea but each episode shows a character doing a different funny thing to survive school. Such as how not to get stuck in a locker or how to arrive to lessons in style.etc.

3. This is a series about an adorable looking dog that seems to always get himself into the wrong situations or happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sort of like an animated series of the book ‘The Book of Bunny Suicides’ but my dog.

4. You may have heard of a new online animated series based on the Radio 1 show, The Chris Moyles Show. A company called ‘Popnoodles’ created a south park type animation version called ‘The Little Chris Moyles Show’.

You can see the episodes at http://www.popnoodles.com/

My idea was to do a similar thing but with Scott Mills, another popular Radio 1 DJ. I could also get the sound from his show as they did with the Chris Moyles one and make the voices high pitched. It is very simple animation if I did the same kind as Popnoodles but I could make it a different style so it’s not the same.

5. ‘101 ways to die’ This Idea is very similar to the dog one but every episode is another stupid way to die. Such as sitting on the toilet and it exploding or walking out in front of a Hearse!

6. This is about a cat who is always hungry and every time it’s food time the phone or door rings or other distraction to stop the owner from opening the tin to give him his food so he comes up with different ways of trying to open the tin. Sort of Tom & Jerry style or even Warner Brothers. Just silly humorous ways for the cat to do stupid things.

Back at Uni

Awww Im back at Uni :)
As you may know I have been ill so I have missed a few lectures but I dont think that I missed much.
I've already been given 3 projects.

1. Make a 1 minute trailer for a 52 episode animated series that are each 3 minutes long.
*** Not sure what Im going to do for this yet but I have to come up with characters and a story to do it. Maybe something like Joe Cartoons stuff or Happy Tree Friends or even the short cartoons you see on Cartoon Network. Another idea is to gather as many funny stories from students and people funny memories from St Davids and make them part of it... Like 'The Student Life' or something ***

2. My next bit of work is a very encouraging one as its The E STINGS competition. Its run by E4 and you basically make one of the Idents (Before a programme starts the little animations of the logo doing something). It has to be 6 to 10 seconds long and I must use either the E4 logo or the E4 Music logo. My teacher added that it has to be a 3D animation too. (Just to make it harder).
The winner recieves a commission from E4 to make a series of idents with a £15,000 budget and Two runner-ups will each receive £1500 worth of kit of their choice.
That's definitly encouraged me to come up with something good!!!
*** I've got a few ideas... silly things at the moment. When I have my notebook with me I'll add them as a new note. ***
Heres the website - www.channel4.com/estings

3. This is to choose an artist and create a font to do with his work. I need to come up with 4 design proposals, then a finished alphabet and an online advert.
*** At the moment I have 3 artists in mind. Alexander Calder, HR Giger and Keith Haring. I have a few ideas in mind but I cant really explain them so again I will put any sketchs up later.

Bronchitis!!!

I've not been at all well :( I caught Bronchitis so did my mum. Its where the lungs get inflamed and lots of symptoms like
* An expectorating and painful cough
* Dyspnea (Shortness of breath)
* Fatigue and Malaise (Basically exhaustion and tiredness)
* Weakness all over
* Mild fever
* Chest Pains
* Vibration in chest when breathing

So basically not very nice and the fact I have a cold too now isnt helping as it's making breathing even harder!!! I have got antibiotics, they do help but only for a short time and i can only have it 4 times a day. Sleeping is very hard as my throat is soar from coughing and everytime i lie down i cant breath properly so cough again!!! I'm so sick of it now :(
Matt has been brilliant though as he's stayed with me since Thursday looking after me :) Hes been so sweet, asking if theirs anything he can do, getting me drinks, making me food, if I've woken up coughing he's tried to help, hes been keeping me smiling and happy. Basically really helping me get through the pain.
I've not done much work because of it and I dont know if I will be up for more lectures today as im so wiped out and feeling a lot worse but we will see.